Single discharge fluid dispensing device



Nov. 30, 1954 'r. A. c. BOTH 2,695,314

SINGLE DISCHARGE FLUID DISPENSING DEVICE Filed March 17, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l a? f I I? i Q a:

a 2% a I i i i 0 7 I 13. 21 i 7 I INVENTOR. r Touuss AC. 50TH "z BY """I" I 111,11 W W HTTOENE Y5 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 SINGLE DISCHARGE FLUID DISPENSING DEVICE Nov. 30, 1954 Filed March 17, 1953 INVENTOR. TOMJES A C. B TH Wan] F! TT 0 ENE Ys United States Patent O sINGLE DISCHARGE FLUID DISPENSING DEVICE Tonjes A. C. Both, Stratford, Conn., assignor to Bridgeport Brass Company, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application March 17, 1953, Serial No. 342,922

6 Claims. (Cl. 299-95) This invention relates to a fluid dispensing device of the type having a projecting break-away sealing member which is broken to permit the discharge of compressed fluid stored by the device. This provides a single prolonged discharge which continues until the device is empty.

One advantage of a device of this type is that an effective discharge is obtained even after prolonged storage, because the break-away member may be made in the form of an hermetic seal assuring positive protection against any leakage. Another advantage is that after use such a device cannot be restored in a partly empty condition such as is possible in the case of a device having a controllable dispensing valve. These advantages are of particular importance, for example, in the case of fire extinguishers which may not be needed for many years, and which should be completely filled when needed.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a device of the above character and having all of its advantages yet which in an inexpensive and simple manner provides for stopping the discharge enough to permit the device to be used at difierent locations without becoming exhausted due to waste occurring while moving from one location to another. Another object is to provide a fire extinguisher of the single discharge or one shot type having a discharge nozzle of the horn type with the horn movable like a lever and serving first to break the break-away member and later to choke ofi the discharge to permit the device to be moved from one location to the other, all without involving the risk that the device might be stored in a partly empty condition.

A specific example of a fire extinguisher embodying the invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the device;

Fig. 2 shows only the top portion of Fig. 1 with the discharge horn moved to break the break-away member;

Fig. 3 is like Fig. 2 excepting that it shows the horn moved to choke the discharge; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 44 in Fig. 1.

In this illustrated fire extinguisher a high-pressure compressed fluid container 1 has a hole 2 in its top in which a bushing 3 is sealed, this bushing connecting with a standpipe 4 reaching to the bottom of the container 1 and the latter being filled with fire extinguishing fluid 5 of the compressed type which discharges when the container is opened to atmospheric pressure. The break-away member is in the form of a sealing plug having a base 6 screwed into the bushing 3 and a tubular member 7 which extends away from the hole 2 outwardly from the container 1. The tubular memebr 7 connects with the standpipe 4 and its outer end is hermetically sealed closed by a metal mass 8 which not only hermetically seals the device but is made of a low temperature melting alloy so as to form a safety device providing protection against explosion when the device is subjected to excessive temperatures. The tubular member 7 has an annular groove 9 formed in it so as to provide a weakened zone where the member breaks when force is exerted against it.

The upper portion of the bushing 3 extends beyond the outside of the top of the container 1 and serves to mount a bracket 10 to the container and which has two laterally spaced upstanding arms 11 which have mutually aligned holes 12 in which pivot pins 13 are screwed. These pins serve to position the discharge nozzle or horn 14 which has a transverse hole 15 through which the member 7 projects to the inside of the horn. The horn may be made as a plastic injection molding and provided with suitable slots for receiving the bracket arms 11 and holes for receiving the screws 13 which mount the horn so it swings like a lever transversely to the container 1. Hairpin springs 16 bias the born 14 to swing upwardly, swinging of the horn in either direction being prevented by a removable pin 17 having a U-shape and which straddles the bracket arms 11 by being passed through holes suitably formed in the horn 14. This pin is, of course, pulled out when the device is put in action.

The hole 15 is in the form of a slot, and when the pin 17 is pulled the member 7 prevents upward swinging of the horn 14. The bushing 3 mounts a stationary handle 18 transversely to the container 1 so that the latter may be carried easily, and this lever 18 is positioned beneath the horn 14 to provide a grip for use in squeezing the horn 14 downwardly. An abutment 19 inside of the horn 14 engages the top of the tubular member 7 and with this downward movement of the horn 14 force is applied to the member 7 so that the latter breaks at the groove 9 and is blown out of the born by the discharge. Fig. 2 shows the down position of the horn 14 with the broken member cleared by the discharge.

Obviously the discharge continues without check until the device is empty. This has the advantage that it removes the temptation to return a partly empty device to storage. On the other hand, it has the disadvantage that an undue amount of the fire extinguishing fluid is wasted in carrying the device from one location to another as is often necessary in fighting a fire.

According to the present invention the part of the horn 14 that swings adjacent to the containers outlet, is made in the shape of a spherical segment 20 which is concentric to the horns pivoting axis. The upward portion of the .bushing 3 forms a socket 221 having an annular top edge that is spherically shaped to match the surface 20 and which is slightly spaced from the same. A rubber washer or gasket 22 is positioned in the socket 21 around the projecting tubular member 7. This gasket is formed with an annular upstanding rib 23 which presses against the spherical segment 29 with a sliding fit. The washer 23 may be made of any elastically deformable material having the characteristics of soft elastic rubber compounds oi the kind used for gaskets, packing washers and the li e.

With the device in use as shown by Fig. 2, with the tubular part 7 blown away so that it no longer acts to restrain swinging action of the horn 14, release of the horn 14 permits the latter to swing upwardly to the position shown by Fig. 3 so that the horns segment 20 closes off the outlet passage of the tubular member 7.

The annular groove 9 is formed in the break-away member 7 at a level beneath the top level of the rubber rib 23. Therefore, the permanently remaining part of the break-away member is below the top of the rib 23 so as not to interfere with the reverse swinging of the horn 14. The horn is, of course, constantly biased to swing reversely by the action of the two hairpin springs 16.

Since the rubber rib 23 is relatively thin and elastically flexible it is unable to completely resist the pressure of the fluid 5. This is done intentionally so that even when the born 14 is released so that it has the Fig. 3 position, there will be a continuous loss of the compressed fluid 5 accompanied by a characteristic hissing noise. At the same time the fiow rate of the discharge is greatly reduced so that the device may be carried from one location to another without an undue loss of its contents.

This novel construction provides what is, in effect, a leaky valve. Since this action is desired, it is unnecessary to provide fluid-tight sealing surfaces between the spherical surface 20 and the top of the rib 23.

If only a part of the contents of the device is used in fighting a fire, the device continues to leak until it is completely empty. Anyone picking up the device is made immediately aware that it is empty and useless because of the very light weight of the empty device as compared to one that is unused. This efifectively guards against storing away a partly empty unit. It follows that when in an emergency one of these new dispensing devices 1s called for there is positive assurance that it is completely full and ready for use. At the same time the discharge rate may be effectively diminished so that the device may be carried from place to place to most effectively fight the fire.

I claim:

1. A fluid dispensing device including a container for compressed fluid and having an outlet, a hollow member closing the outlet and projecting therefrom and adapted to be broken apart to open the outlet to discharge the fluid, a lever connected to the container for applying force to the hollow member to break apart the member when the lever is swung in one direction, and means for at least reducing the fluid discharge through the outlet by swinging the lever in a different direction, said means comprising a surface connected to the lever to move therewith, and a gasket surrounding the member and having a seat on which the surface slides, an opening being formed through the surface and the member projecting through the opening so as to be engaged by the surface when the lever is swung in the first-named direction, the member having a weakened zone below the level of the gaskets seat and swinging of the lever in said different direction sliding the surface over the outlet after the member is broken apart.

2. A fluid dispensing device including a container for compressed fluid and having an outlet, a hollow member closing the outlet and projecting therefrom and adapted to be broken apart to open the outlet to discharge the fluid, a lever connected to the container for applying force to the hollow member to break apart the member when the lever is swung in one direction, and means for at least reducing the fluid discharge through the outlet by swinging the lever in a different direction, said means comprising a surface connected to the lever to move therewith, and a gasket surrounding the member and having a seat on which the surface slides, an opening being formed through the surface and the member projecting through the opening so as to be engaged by the surface when the lever is swung in the first-named direc* tion, the member having a weakened zone below the level of the gaskets seat and swinging of the lever in said different direction sliding the surface over the outlet after the member is broken apart, the lever having a pivoting axis and said surface being shaped as a spherical segment concentric with the axis, said seat being shaped to be fitted by the surface in a rotatively sliding manner.

3. A fluid dispensing device including a container for compressed fluid and having an outlet therefor, a closure for the outlet including a tubular break-away member open to the interior of the container and projecting therefrom and having a hermetically sealed outer end, a discharge nozzle, a pivotal mounting connecting the nozzle transversely to the container opposite to the out let, the nozzle being formed with a transverse opening through which the member extends and lever action of the nozzle in one direction causing a part of the lever at the opening to apply breaking force to the member, and an elastic annular seat surrounding the member between the nozzle and the container, the nozzle having a part formed as a spherical segment slidingly fitting the seat and to provide a solid surface sliding over the seat to close the outlet when the lever is oppositely moved after breaking the break-away member.

4. A fluid dispensing device including a container for compressed fluid and having an outlet therefor, a closure for the outlet including a tubular break-away member open to the interior of the container and projecting therefrom and having a hermetically sealed outer end, a discharge nozzle, a pivotal mounting connecting the nozzle transversely to the container opposite to the outlet, the

nozzle being formed with a transverse opening through which the member extends and lever action of the nozzle in one direction causing a part of the nozzle at the opening to apply breaking force to the member, and an elastic annular seat surrounding the member between the nozzle and the container, the nozzle having a part formed as a spherical segment slidingly fitting the seat and to provide a solid surface sliding over the seat to close the outlet when the nozzle is oppositely moved after breaking the break-away member, the latter having a weakened zone beneath the level of the seat and providing the member with a predetermined break-away location.

5. A fluid dispensing device including a container for compressed fluid and having an outlet therefor, a closure for the outlet including a tubular break-away member open to the interior of the container and projecting therefrom and having a hermetically sealed outer end, a discharge nozzle, a pivotal mounting connecting the nozzle transversely to the container opposite to the outlet, the nozzle being formed with a transverse opening through which the member extends and lever action of the nozzle in one direction causing a part of the nozzle at the opening to apply breaking force to the member, and an elastic annular seat surrounding the member between the nozzle and the container, the nozzle having a part formed as a spherical segment slidingly fitting the seat and to provide a solid surface sliding over the seat to close the outlet when the nozzle is oppositely moved after breaking the break-away member, the latter having a weakened zone beneath the level of the seat and providing the member with a predetermined break-away location, the nozzle having means for biasing it to move opposite to the firstnamed direction and prior to its break-away the member holding the nozzle against the bias of this means.

6. A fluid dispensing device including a container for compressed fluid and having an outlet therefor, a closure for the outlet including a tubular break-away member open to the interior of the container and projecting therefrom and having a hermetically sealed outer end, a discharge nozzle, a pivotal mounting connecting the nozzle transversely to the container opposite to the outlet, the nozzle being formed with a transverse opening through which the member extends and lever action of the nozzle in one direction causing a part of the nozzle at the opening to apply breaking force to the member, and an elastic annular seat surrounding the member between the nozzle and the container, the nozzle having a part formed as a spherical segment slidingly fitting the seat and to provide a solid surface sliding over the seat to close the outlet when the nozzle is oppositely moved after breaking the break-away member, the latter having a weakened zone beneath the level of the seat and providing the member with a predetermined break-away location, the nozzle having means for biasing it to move opposite to the firstnarned direction and prior to its break-away the member holding the nozzle against the bias of this means, and removable means for locking the nozzle against moving 'in either of its pivotal directions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,150,634 Serrell Aug. 17, 1915 2,409,647 Stroop Oct. 22, 1946 2,574,890 Samuels Nov. 13, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 449,215 Great Britain June 23, 1936 

